Israel-Hamas war, Netanyahu disbands war cabinet following key partner's exit
- In Reports
- 04:50 PM, Jun 17, 2024
- Myind Staff
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has dissolved the six-member war cabinet that was established on October 11 to oversee the country's military operations against Hamas and Hezbollah. This decision was reported by Reuters on Monday.
The dissolution follows the resignation of centrist former general Benny Gantz, one of the three key members, from the Netanyahu-led coalition government.
Netanyahu is now set to consult on the Gaza war with a smaller group of ministers. This group includes Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer, who were both part of the original war cabinet.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has faced demands from his nationalist-religious coalition partners, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, to be included in the war cabinet.
The war cabinet was initially formed after Benny Gantz joined Netanyahu in a national unity government. This unity government was established in response to the Hamas attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the taking of 250 hostages.
With the dissolution of the six-member war cabinet, Netanyahu plans to consult on the Gaza war with a smaller group of ministers. This group will include Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer.
The war cabinet also included Gantz's partner Gadi Eisenkot and Aryeh Deri, head of the religious party Shas, as observers. However, both Gantz and Eisenkot left the government last week, citing Netanyahu's failure to form a strategy for the Gaza war, according to Reuters.
Since the October 7 attack, Israel's military campaign against Hamas has resulted in the deaths of over 37,000 Palestinians, according to figures from the Palestinian health ministry. The offensive has devastated much of Gaza, plunging the area into a humanitarian crisis. The United Nations has reported that hundreds of thousands of people are on the brink of famine.
On Sunday, the Israeli military announced it would pause fighting during daytime hours along a route in southern Gaza to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid. However, this move was criticised by Netanyahu. According to an unidentified Israeli official quoted by Reuters, when the prime minister heard about the 11-hour humanitarian pause, he immediately conveyed to his military secretary that this was unacceptable.
Image source: Reuters
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